A containment assembly such as urns or vessels may be used for holding and serving liquid or beverages. Typical assemblies may be constructed of metal and thus require cleaning after usage. In a restaurant environment, it is generally preferred to clean such vessels at the end of each shift so as to maintain cleanliness. However such a cleaning task requires increased man power and other resources and such is not preferred.
Another containment assembly uses a plastic bag assembly that is positioned within a containment vessel having a dispensing valve, which in turn is used to deliver beverages to consumers. These bag assemblies may be formed of a two-layer plastic sheet that is heat sealed on three sides with a spout that is heat sealed to an outer surface and over an aperture in one side of the plastic sheet. To fluidly connect with the dispensing valve, the typical spout is releasably received into a fitment connected to an elongated dispensing tube. As a result, the traditional spout may be physically separated from the elongated dispensing tube by the fitment. To dispense beverages, the elongated dispensing tube is passed into the dispensing valve of the containment vessel to be selectively operated by customers. Thus, typical plastic bag assemblies may include excess components thereby unnecessarily increasing material costs and complexity of installation and manufacture.
Further, typical bag assemblies are not tamper-resistant. After beverages have been dispensed or at the end of a work shift, the containment assembly should be cleaned by throwing away the plastic bag assembly. However, traditional bag assemblies include a releasable connection between the spout and fitment. This releasable connection may be utilized to reuse portions or all of the bag assembly, which may lead to unsanitary conditions. These traditional systems may be pulled apart and reassembled, promoting tampering with the releasable connection. As a result, there is a need for a tamper-resistant liner assembly.
Moreover, traditional bag assemblies lack a convenient mechanism to selectively seal the top of the bag with food defense in mind, e.g., closed during use and open during refilling. Traditional bags may be closed by folding over or bunching the top of the bag, but this fails to provide an effective seal at the top. Even if the top is knotted or permanently sealed, re-opening the bag my damage the top of the bag. Thus, it may be desirable to provide a selectively sealable container assembly.
Additionally, selectively sealable liners are a food defense mechanism deterring anyone from contaminating the liquid product easily. By closing the liner with the top seal a person must go through another time consuming step in order to willfully contaminate the product being dispensed. Additional benefits of the selectively sealable closed top are found when users move their dispensing vessels from one area to another with product for serving, reducing or eliminating spills from product sloshing out of the urn.
Other containment assembly designs employ expensive plastic bags that employ complex valves and dispensing systems that in turn may be used with a vessel. It would be helpful to provide a selectively sealable disposable container assembly that has improved functionality, a reduction in the number of working components, provides a tamper resistant connection, is a food defense mechanism, yet is more cost competitive for the beverage industry.